Posted on Sep 15, 2005

The map of Mexico is dotted with their strange sounding names. Palenque. Chichen Itza. Uxmal. Merida. The mystery and grandeur of these Mayan ruins have beckoned travelers for centuries.

Mayan cities appeared on the Yucatan Peninsula 3,000 years ago. The Mayans built a culture that flowered while Europe languished in the Dark Ages and that survived six times as long as the Roman Empire. They erected more cities than ancient Egypt. They lived by a calendar equal to that of the modern world, developed the concept of zero in mathematics, predicted eclipses of the sun and the moon and traced the path of Venus.

Now everyone can visit the Mayan sites and conduct field exploration on the Yucatan Peninsula with Mesoamerican archaeologist Ruben Mendoza. Dr. Mendoza, a professor at California State University, Monterey Bay, will lead a Lost Cities of the Ancient Maya tour Jan. 2-16, 2006, open to the public.

The trip costs $2,995 and includes airfare from San Francisco to Mexico City and back; accommodations for 14 nights; breakfast daily and several lunches and dinners; private coach for touring and guided visits and excursions. University credit is available for an additional cost.

The registration deadline is Oct. 14. A $250 deposit is required by that date, payable to Intrax Education Abroad. For information on payment, contact Mickie White, 800-777-7766, ext. 514.

For information on the trip, visit the web at csumb.edu/extended; contact Dr. Mendoza at 582-3760, ruben_mendoza@csumb.edu; or Lilly Martinez at 582-4364, lilly_martinez@csumb.edu.